I've only been quilting for a year and its become a new passion for me but I would love to hear some wisdom from people who I know have asked this same question.

I have a singer 401a - I love my machine however, to justify this new addiction, I have to finish things. Finishing meaning all the way to quilting them. What suggestions do you have for machines and frames that are not too expensive but do the job fairly well. Or is there a way to use my machine to quilt?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

I have a Janome 6600, which is a wonderful machine. However, if I could have afforded the extra money I would have bought a Bernina with a stitch regulator. It's been over a year since I purchased my machine and I still wish I had that darn stitch regulator. My suggestion, don't compromise! Get the machine you really want! JMO.
Piece ~ Tiffany

The only problem with the Bernina is it costs as much as a cheap quilting machine set up.
Of course it dosnt take up as much room.

That is why my hubby said we couldn't afford it. Yet in retrospect, it would have been a great investment and I think it would have made machine quilting a more enjoyable experience for me.

That isn't to say I don't love my Janome because I do. It works beautifully and is very reliable, which is good since I spend a few hours every day piecing with it.

If you can drop the feeddogs on your Singer, you can machine quilt on it. You may be limited as to what size you can do on it, depending on the bed of the machine. I have 2 elnas, one is a Quilter's Dream which has a bigger bed than the typical machine. I love both of them. I bought the Dream used about 3 years ago and haven't had a bit of problem with it. I don't know how much you can afford, but I personally would stay away from the modern Singers, especially their "industrial" machines.

The newer singers don't do a thing for me, I can raise the plate which from what I've read is the same as lowering the feeddogs. But, since I'm getting a solid tax refund, I would like to splurge on a bit of a quilting setup...

401a can do just about any thing...The slant needle makes it easier to see what your doing. This machine is heavy duty and can go through anything. It is highly vaued among the old singers with prices starting at 200. There is a Slant needle group that can give you advise on everything this machine can do.....I'll find the link and post it

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singerslantsewing/

Ruth, thank you for that link... I love my 401a, my mom has a 401 that I learned to sew on and a couple years ago I posted on Craigslist that I was looking for a sewing machine but could only afford $50. I got all sorts of replies but they all had issues with their machines that would have cost me another $100+ to repair.

A very nice gentleman contacted me that he was looking for someone to take his mothers sewing machine as she had passed away and he was finally able to clear out her room. I didn't have a clue as to what kind of singer it was until he brought it to me.. I almost cried, its the same machine I grew up with and I knew its quirks and idiosyncrasies.

I will go check out the groups and see what info I can find there.

Thanks

As I quilted more and more I realized I needed a machine with a larger throat. Money is always an issue in my house so I ended up with a Juki. Paid $500.00 for it. It was a huge investment for me. I love it. It has opened up free motion quilting for me. Someday I would love a Bailey 13 and a Gracie frame. Just a pipe dream but a girl can dream, right ?

:roll: Oh my where did you find a Juki for $500??? may I ask? :wink: